Benin: work on the Sètto-Dassa-Zoumè road begins this Wednesday
MCA-Benin Regional launches this Wednesday, 9 September in Dassa-Zoumè, the reconstruction work expanding the Sètto-Dassa-Zoumè section to 2×2 lanes, covering 39.45 km, including a second bridge over the Zou and a modern toll-weigh station.
Reconstruction work on the Sètto-Dassa-Zoumè road, expanding it to 2×2 lanes, is set to officially start this Wednesday, 9 September 2026, in Dassa-Zoumè. The project covers a 39.45-kilometer section of the RNIE2 and also includes a second bridge over the Zou River as well as a modern toll and weigh station.
The ceremony is scheduled for 10 hours within the grounds of the new prefecture of Dassa-Zoumè. It follows a coordination meeting held from 24 to 28 August by MCA-Benin Regional with teams from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the supervising engineer, the company SOGEA-SATOM, and several state technical bodies.
The contract for the Sètto-Dassa-Zoumè section includes widening the roadway to 2×2 lanes over 39.45 kilometers. MCA-Benin Regional’s procurement documents also mention the construction of a second 60-meter bridge over the Zou and the establishment of a toll and weigh station.
The project is part of the MCA regional compact, which came into effect on 17 July 2025. The launch statement links the program to a US contribution of 202 million dollars through the MCC and a Beninese counterpart funding of 89 million dollars for the budget announced for this phase.
On its official fact sheet, the MCC presents the regional compact in Benin as a program aimed at rehabilitating and widening the road corridor between Bohicon and Dassa-Zoumè, reducing vehicle operating costs, and improving road safety. The US agency values its contribution to the compact at 202 million dollars.
The reconstruction of the section is also expected to ease freight transport along the route connecting the port of Cotonou to domestic and sub-regional markets. The project includes measures related to road safety, infrastructure maintenance, and improving conditions for freight vehicle traffic.
The launch will be chaired by the Minister of Living Environment and Transport, responsible for Sustainable Development, in the presence of the chargé d’affaires of the US Embassy in Benin, local authorities, implementation teams, and representatives of the companies involved in the project.
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